Still without a new contract, the local teachers union plans to once again plead its case to the public this afternoon at a rally outside the Memorial Building.

Union president Sam Miskin said he hopes several hundred teachers, education staff, students and other supporters will be on hand for the demonstration at 4:30 p.m., at which the association will reiterate its requests for a defined workday, class size limits, and a salary increase in its next deal.

The union's last one-year contract expired at the end of last summer, and negotiations for a new agreement have been slow going.

"At this point, membership just wants to have this finished," Miskin said. "It's been straining and draining for a lot of people."

But the Framingham Teachers Association has also made it clear at past rallies that it is not looking to make any more concessions to the School Committee, after forgoing a cost-of-living raise in its last deal in 2011 and accepting two unpaid furlough days the year before that.

After the sides came away from their last mediation session on Feb. 4 still without any final agreement on the union's three key demands, according to Miskin, they plan to meet again tomorrow. But that talk will focus primarily on teacher supervision and evaluations, he said; the association is still waiting on the date of its next full contract mediation meeting.

Over the past few weeks, the teachers have resorted to several work actions, including regular pickets outside schools. Some union members have also made themselves unavailable for administrative meetings and meetings with students outside of their normal hours, Miskin said.

The association could still launch a work-to-rule, under which teachers would arrive at and leave school strictly according to their contractual obligation, as well, but that would require a full discussion and vote by membership, he said.

Commenting on the actions the teachers have already taken, Superintendent Stacy Scott only said he hopes for a quick resolution to the contract dispute "so teachers are able to meet the everyday needs of students - that's mutually our greatest concern."

Scott said the sides have just a few remaining disagreements to sort out, and hopes a new deal will be done within the next month.

"I remain optimistic," he said. "These meetings over the next several weeks should help us hit pay-dirt on those last few issues we're focusing on."

Miskin, too, said the association is looking for a quick wrap-up.

"The teachers are very much looking forward to a resolution," he said. "We're hopeful an agreement will happen soon."

Scott O'Connell can be reached at 508-626-4449 or soconnell@wickedlocal.com